This Kiss
by ForeverOdd
Summary: Oneshot about what I wish had happened after the nowfamous Mistletoe Kiss. Featuring our favorite squint and FBI Agent with much fluff. BB OF COURSE!


**OK…this fic is based on that kiss from a few weeks ago…personally I wish they had used the one that was release AFTER the episode…the hotter one…the one where there was definitely some tongue…but whatever…I can understand why they didn't use it…but I can still be mad about it…lol…I re-watched the kiss like 50 times trying to come up with this…(I'm so not complaining about that…lol) This is strictly a one-shot seeing as how I'm suffering GOD AWFUL WRITER'S BLOCK on my other story Once and For All…however, I'm hoping to be over that soon and get another chapter up before Christmas. Enjoy!**

His mind was full of her. Full of her shining eyes, eager smile…just…everything about her. It didn't take much for him to remember how her hands had grabbed and held onto the lapels of his coat.

It took less for him to remember exactly how her mouth felt on his. Part of him swore he still could.

He was on his way home after dropping Parker off at Rebecca's. He was thinking about the night before. Bringing her that tree was something he'd been planning for days. The look on her face had been well worth it. He'd almost said it then. With her standing in the conjugal trailer at the prison, surrounded by her family and him standing outside the gates with his son next to a tree lit by his car battery.

He'd almost said those three words.

But he didn't. Of course. He could look back on the years and count at least a dozen missed opportunities with her. A dozen missed chances. But no, he had to go and draw that STUPID line. Screw the line. It had been fading and blurring for months and that kiss had thrown him over the edge.

He wanted her. Desperately. He was in love with her. Hopelessly AND desperately.

He couldn't keep this up anymore. He'd tried to ignore it for who-knows-how-long. And then came Sully. He tried not to think about the man who had gone off and left her. Because if he was honest himself, he'd been thrilled. Not for her, of course, he'd wanted to hit the guy for putting that pained look in her eyes. But at the same time he'd wanted to crack the champagne bottle against that boat himself to send it off faster.

So he'd compromised and met her at the docks. Telling her he was saying goodbye to a friend when he was really only there for her. He dropped a subtle hint then and thought she'd caught on. _Everything happens eventually_.

But they'd both forgotten that and moved on. Or at least she had. He still had to suffer through the long looks, with inches between them, and tell himself "NO."

That night when he'd given her Brainy Smurf had almost done it. He had very nearly kissed her then. Closed the remaining 3 inches between them and kissed that smug little grin right off her gorgeous face.

But NO…of course not. He'd just sat back and finished his pie.

And then the opportunity came that he COULDN'T pass up. Thank you, Caroline. Her and her puckish feelings. He'd feigned being uncomfortable and wanting to find a way out of it. When she'd loudly refused his offer to talk to Caroline, he'd been thrilled. Maybe she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Maybe she was just as nervous about bridging that last little gap between them and was taking the mistletoe as her way to do it safely. Either way he'd take it.

And then she was there, smiling at him, eyes bright…and he was suddenly terrified. What if he was wrong? What if she was just doing this for her family? Would this be the only moment he would ever have with her?

And then he felt her. Mouth hard at first. _Too much pressure, Bones. Ease up_. He felt her soften. And his mind went blank. He could feel her hands on his jacket, holding him where he was, tugging him closer. Opening his eyes a fraction he saw her, eyes closed. He leaned into the kiss but she was already pulling back. He couldn't bear the thought of the moment being over and tried to follow her but the contact was broken and he felt himself stumble back.

Her cheeks were flushed and she was saying something about…steamboats? What did that mean? And what was in his…oh sweet Lord. Her gum. In his mouth.

She wouldn't look at him. Truthfully he couldn't look at her either. He mumbled something about work. As did she. He thanked her as a side thought for the gum but didn't wait to see her reaction.

God, he wanted to kiss her again. She'd be leaving for Peru in a matter of hours. Could he really let her go without telling her? Well, he could've but would he let her get the chance to think about all this without him there and decide it wasn't worth the risk? Hell, no. If she was going to have all that time to herself that she damn well wasn't going to be thinking about how it meant nothing and telling herself to forget it. Like kissing her brother. Please. If she kissed her brother like that then someone needed to be arrested. No, she was going to be thinking about giving it a chance. Giving _them_ a chance.

Resigning himself to the mission at hand, he swung the car around and drove toward her apartment.

* * *

A knock on the door interrupted her last minute packing, her radio playing low in the background. She looked up, considered ignoring it, but the knocking became more persistent.

Walking over she looked through the peephole to see the top of a very familiar head. Her partner's head was down, arms spread out and braced on either side of the door. Had something happened? Was it Parker? She knew he'd had to bring him home today…was he taking it hard? Had he and Rebecca fought?

She opened the door quickly, eyes wide and concerned.

"Booth, what's wrong? Are you-"

Her sentence stopped rather suddenly as he stepped forward, slid his arms around her, pulled her into him, and crushed his mouth against hers all in one smooth motion.

She was stunned and frozen. There was no mistletoe now. What was he doing? Why was he doing this? God…he felt good.

His lips moved hungrily over hers, demanding response.

Well…Temperance Brennan was nothing if not up to any challenge. She slid her arms up his shoulders and around his neck, one hand curling into his hair. Once she'd reciprocated he started to relax. But not enough to slow the frantic pace of the kiss. He turned them and pressed her into the door. Not that she cared. His hands skimmed the length of her while their tongues dueled and danced. He dug his fingertips into her hips when she tugged on his hair. She heard moaning but didn't know whose it was.

When he broke away from her mouth to kiss his way along her jaw, down her neck, and around her throat, she took the opportunity to breathe deeply.

Finally, he seemed to slow. Pressing soft, lingering kisses along her collarbone. His voice was ragged when he spoke.

"Bones?"

"Yea."

"Scale of 1 to 10…how bad are you freaking out right now?"

She took a second to get her bearings, still lost in the heat of the last few moments. And with that second came the fear. She knew he could feel her stiffen in his arms but he tightened his grip.

"Don't run from me. Don't over-think it. God, Bones, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that. Just listen to me, before you analyze everything."

She didn't relax but she didn't run either. He raised his face from her shoulder and his brown eyes were cloudy and dark.

"Bones…I've needed to tell you for…I don't know how long. Please. Don't freak out and please, God, please, don't run. I can't keep lying to myself or you. I'm so in love with you, Bones. I know you don't believe in it, but please, give me a chance to prove it. Give us a chance here because I know there's something here and I've wanted you for so long."

Love. He loved her. No. That was impossible. Partners. The line. He drew it, not her. Not love. She didn't believe in it. Didn't want it. Loving people meant it would hurt when they leave.

"I'm not your parents. I won't leave you. Not of my own power. Never. I couldn't."

"How did you…"

"I know you. I knew that had to be a reason you'd be scared of this."

His arms were still around her and her hands rested on his biceps. If she didn't notice their position, he wasn't about to bring attention to it. For all he knew, he'd never hold her again after this.

"Booth…I don't…I can't…"

"Bones, if you tell me you don't love me…don't think that there's something between us…something _wonderful_…if you tell me you can't do this and you really truly mean it, without a single doubt…then I'll walk out right now. All you have to do is mean it."

She opened her mouth to deny it. _Say it!_ her head screamed. _No!_ _Tell him the truth!_ screamed another, foreign part of her. It sounded a lot like Angela.

_Tell him you love him! We both know it's true! He would lay down his life for you in an second. He's seen you at your worst and still he loves you!_

Oh, God, he does. He does love me. Oh, _God_, I _DO_…I_ DO_ love him.

Through her internal struggle he'd been watching her. His heart dropping every second, farther and farther. Maybe…maybe he'd read this wrong. Oh, what had he done? Had he ruined one of the best things in his life? Oh, how was he going to fix this?

"Booth."

He looked at her again. Her face was straight and he couldn't read a thing. And that terrified him. She was about to crush his heart into the ground and it was his own fault.

"Seeley…"

Seeley? When had she ever called him 'Seeley'?

"Bones?"

She reached out slowly and touched his face and he felt his heart skip.

"You're right."

He was right? He'd said a lot of things. Which had been right?

"Umm…about what exactly?"

She smiled. Her eyes were wary but still confident. Her thumb ran over his cheek and his skipping heart started to run.

"There is something between us. Something…wonderful and amazing and I've never felt this way before it scares the life out of me but…I don't care. Because I do. I do love you."

He could almost hear the cartoon-like screech of tires as his heart stopped altogether.

"Really?"

He looked so shocked, with such a sweet little stunned look on his face, that she laughed.

"Really."

And suddenly he didn't know what to say.

"Umm…well…good. 'Cause…you know…I love you too. And…"

"Booth?"

"Uh-huh."

"Just…kiss me again. OK?"

He grinned at her. A 1000 watt charm smile that she matched.

"_That_ I can do."

And he did. Of course.

_A/N: Well that's that. Sorry it's so long after the fact but finals are finally over and I'm hoping to be able to get back on track with my writing. To all of you reading Once and For All and wondering what the hell is taking me so long…please accept this as my very big apology! Reviews are much loved and much appreciated. Even if it's just to yell at me and tell me to get back to work on my other story! Happy Holidays!!_


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